E R TU A FE
Potatoes are for Eating | Dr. Brian Clement
Potatoes are for Eating:
Get Off Your Couch and Give Your Body What it Needs by Dr. Brian Clement
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n today’s “evolved” society, people too often consider exercise as one of their lowest priorities. Think about it. If you’re being honest with yourself, you may very well have to admit that daily exercise is towards the bottom of your list – past work and family obligations, and yes, even television viewing, facebooking and playing words with friends.
Less than 5% of the population exercise adequately. This not only effects our waistlines, but also our emotions, biochemistry, immune systems and rate of aging.
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But the human race was not born on a coach. To keep our bodies and minds operating the way nature intended, we need daily movement – and lots of it. Our nomadic ancestors genetically and anatomically set the blueprint for future generations with their need for endless foraging and associated body movement. Later, the simple act of farming for survival offered the full spectrum of aerobic and weight-lifting exercise that is prerequisite to health. Each morning when people rose, the first question in their mind was, “Am I going to starve or am I going to farm?” Of course, the latter was what the masses chose and this life-saving act alone assured a user-friendly body. Not until we humans began to become sedentary did we begin to limit total body use.
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Potatoes are for Eating | Dr. Brian Clement
With Societal “Advances” Came the “Couch Potato” As the industrial revolution sprouted, most people began to migrate to cities and cubical residences that dramatically limited the use of our anatomy. Abnormal standing, sitting, leaning and resting increased due to our obligatory work. By the mid-20th century, the commonly shared outdoor activities began to be challenged by the newly created television. Before we knew it, we were watching professional sport teams rather than actively participating in sports. Within one generation, the term “couch potato” was created. As we view the box with its illustrious and tempting ads, they seduce us to eat more nutritionally void foods to fill the gaping holes left behind from the lack of personal fulfillment. What a dilemma it has become — lack of body use and excessive weight gain have paralyzed the population, including the youth among us. A recent international study reported what has been well-established in the past: “Less than 5% of the population exercise adequately.”
Exercise Does Much More Than Keep You Trim Everyone knows that losing weight and staying fit requires exercise. But did you know that our bodies need regular movement in order to work optimally in many other important ways? A Lack of exercise directly affects your emotions, biochemistry, immune systems and rate of aging. During the last half-century, one scientific study after another confirms the essentiality of aerobic VegWorld Magazine
Exercise your mind. Regular exercise is the top factor in keeping your mind sharp into old age.
and weight-bearing exercise. Through my work at Hippocrates Health Institute, we have concretely established that aerobic exercise will dramatically increase the pace of recovery. Every disease known to man can be successfully battled by increasing circulation, body temperature and oxygen. Resistance exercise not only forms a healthy, functional muscular structure, but also solidifies and strengthens the skeletal system. In both cases, the positive effects are numerous. Perhaps the least recognized, yet most
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Vegetarians Live Longer | Pamela A. Popper, Ph.D., N.D.
Vegetarians
Live Longer by Pamela A. Popper, Ph.D., N.D.
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here are many benefits from eating a plant-based diet, and one more can be added to the list. According to findings from the Adventist Health Study, which were recently presented at the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Meeting in October 2012, vegetarians live longer than carnivores. Vegetarian Adventist men live an average of 83.3 years, while Adventist women live an average of 85.7 years. This is an average of 9.5 years longer for men and 6.1 years longer for women.
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Vegetarians Live Longer | Pamela A. Popper, Ph.D., N.D. This study followed 96,000 Americans and Canadians. The lead researcher, Gary Fraser, reported several benefits attributed to eating a plantbased diet, including: • Vegans are an average of 30 pounds lighter than meat eaters.
Not only will you live longer on a plantbased diet, but you’ll live leaner and better than your carnivorous counterparts.
• Vegans also score better on BMI (Body Mass Index) tests – about 5 units lower than meat eaters. • Vegetarians and vegans are less likely to be insulin resistant than meat eaters. Those participants who were lean were more likely to exercise, eat more plant food, and avoid cigarettes than people who were overweight, leading the researchers to conclude that numerous factors are responsible for their better health. This is what I refer to as the ”combination lock” theory of diet and lifestyle: Just as you have to dial all four numbers to open a combination lock – and three or two will not give you any results – you have to address your total diet and lifestyle pattern if you want to enjoy optimal health. Not only will you live longer on a plant-based diet, but you’ll live leaner and better than your carnivorous counterparts. I am already observing this. At my age, many of my friends are sick, medicated, undergoing procedures, and dying because they don’t take care of themselves. I am thankful every day I learned about this diet before these things happened to me.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Pam Popper is a naturopath, an internationally recognized expert on nutrition, medicine and health, and the Executive Director and Founder of The Wellness Forum, which, among other things, offers programming in schools designed to improve children’s health through better nutrition. Dr. Popper is the author of several books; her most recent is “Solving America’s Healthcare Crisis.” She serves on the Physician’s Steering Committee and the President’s Board for the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington D.C. Dr. Popper is one of the health care professionals involved in the famed Sacramento Food Bank Project, in which economically disadvantaged people were shown how to reverse their diseases and eliminate medications with diet. She has been featured in many widely distributed documentaries, including “Processed People” and “Making a Killing” and the popular film “Forks Over Knives.” She is one of the co-authors of the companion book which is on the New York Times bestseller list.
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Panang Curry | Chef Chloe • 1 ½ cups water • 1 (14-ounce) can organic coconut milk • 1 ½ teaspoons lime zest • 2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup • 2 teaspoons Himalayan sea salt • 1 (14-ounce) package organic extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes • 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½ -inch cubes • 1 bunch kale, cut or torn into bite-size pieces • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice • ½ cup roasted cashews
Grade B Maple Syrup is less refined and contains more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals when compared to the other varieties.
Directions: Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots, ginger, and garlic and let cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in peanut butter, turmeric, cumin, and curry paste and let cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Whisk in water, coconut milk, lime zest, brown sugar, and salt until combined. Add tofu, sweet potato, and kale, and bring to a boil. Let simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Stir in lime juice and adjust seasoning to taste. Garnish with cashews and serve a la carte or over rice or quinoa.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR A lifelong vegetarian and vegan for more than eight years, Chloe aims to bring delicious, meat-free dishes to the mainstream. Her decadent desserts and savory entrees prove that vegan cooking offers healthy choices without sacrificing flavor. Chloe is a graduate of The Natural Gourmet Institute and the University of California, Berkeley. She has also completed Cornell University’s Plant-Based Nutrition program based on Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study. Her professional work includes Millennium Restaurant, San Francisco; Counter Organic Vegetarian Bistro, New York City; and Herbivore Restaurant, Berkeley. Learn more about Chloe by visiting her website here.
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SPOTLIGHT
ON COMPASSION
Ethical Eating and Religion: What Would the Buddha Say?